Discerning the Enemy’s Tactics Before We Speak
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The other day, I was reading Genesis 3—that sad, sad story of the fall of humanity.
This is where the serpent first slithers into the narrative: a sly, smooth-talking deceiver who has continued to plague every generation since.
It begins like this, Genesis 3:1:
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?”’”
I’m reminded of a scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, when Wormtongue whispers into the ear of King Théoden.
He speaks softly, his oily words dripping with flattery, causing the king to doubt those who love him most.
The serpent knew the truth.
He knew exactly what God had said.
His goal? To exploit the woman’s ‘helper’ nature,
to plant seeds of doubt about the goodness of her Creator,
and to stoke the pride quietly lurking beneath the surface.
Sadly, the woman took the bait—hook, line, and sinker. She knew the serpent’s words weren’t true. As the man stood silent, she corrected him:
“And the woman said to the serpent,
‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden,neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”’”
(Genesis 3:2–3)
I can’t blame her for answering. She did exactly what I’ve done more times than I care to admit.
I hear something wrong, and I rush in to correct it. I can’t resist setting the record straight.
But—is that always the best strategy?
There’s a time and place for correction, of course. But it’s vital to discern the intention behind the words.
When someone speaks against what I know to be true, I must pause and check in with the Holy Spirit before reacting. That pause can keep me from walking straight into the enemy’s trap.
As the Apostle Paul urges:
“I appeal to you, brothers,
to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”
(Romans 16:17)
When the woman answered the serpent, she opened the door to further deception.
He began by planting doubt—then followed it with the first outright lie:
“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You shall not surely die.
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”
(Genesis 3:4–5)
The rest is history. The temptation to be like God was too much. In that moment, she chose to ignore what she knew to be true. She didn’t trust Him.
And the enemy still uses the same tactic today.
Seemingly innocent questions—“Did God really mean…? Does the Bible actually say this?”—are designed to cast doubt on the Word God has entrusted to His people.
When I hear those kinds of questions, my first instinct is to respond immediately—to correct, to explain, to defend.
But if I don’t first check in with the Holy Spirit, I risk engaging on the enemy’s terms.
As a believer, I’m not alone in this. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit lives within me.
I don’t have to respond to every provocation from the enemy, whose only aim is to twist the truth I already know.
In Luke 12:11–12, Jesus promises His followers that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say when we need them.
He guides our hearts and responses—especially when we’re tempted to take things into our own hands.
We don’t need to play the enemy’s game. We don’t have to fight fire with fire.
Instead, we resist. We ask the Holy Spirit for direction—whether to walk away or to speak.
And if we do speak, we trust that He will give us the words.
Reflection Question
The next time you’re tempted to “set the record straight,” will you pause and ask the Holy Spirit: “Is this my battle to fight?”
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